When Opportunities Knock
Our community’s concern
about developments and the
perceived lack thereof in
Southeast RaleJ*?h should not
continue to go unabated. A
new County-side project gives
us all a golden opportunity to
“Do Something” which will
benefit all and establish a
community bond unequalled
since the mid 60’s.
The Raleigh-Wake Martin
Luther King Celebration
Committee, Inc., made up of
mostly citizens from “This”
community have worked
diligently, with expert
forethought and planning to
construct a public shrine in
“our” community to honor
the life and work of the late
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Indeed an ambitious project
such as this $180,000) will
require the support and
encouragement from each of
us regardless of position,
occupation or “status” in the
community. From all
accounts, the planners have
designed the project to give
each of us an opportunity to
participate in it’s
development and funding.
The business and corporate
sectors have already given
strong support, thereby
eliminating the paranoia that
a statue of Dr. King may
“Upset” some "Other”
people who we must work
with and for.
City councilman Ralph
Campbell, Jr. recently stated
so truthfully, “More than
anything else, our community
needs an example of what can
be accomplished when we
pool our resources, energy
and talents. Many times,
people get frustrated because
they see no visible
improvements in their
neighborhood, no measurable
example of community
achievements.” Campbell
also said this week, “The
overall objective of the
project is to create a
perpetual climate and
physical tribute to Dr. King
and the many others who
worked so hard and gave their
lives to bring racial and social
injustices to the forefront of
America’s Consciousness.”
The CAROLINIAN stands
firmly in support of this Once
In-A-Lifetime opportunity to
erect a tangible permanent
memorial in honor of Dr.
King. Equally important, we
support the concept of also
honoring the many others in
and from North Carolina who
have also made significant
contributions to the
advancement of Civil Rights,
Human Rights, Economic
Justice and Social Justice.
The erection of a memorial
wall to showcase the others
who engineered our quest for
liberation before, during and
after the King era is
especially gratifying,
important, and in a sense,
long overdue. The proposed
memorial wall, along side
King’s statue will give
everyone the opportunity to
reflect, remember and look to
the future knowing that
indeed our history and culture
is rich, varied and full of men
and women who dedicted
their lives to improving our
condition.
We know there are
hundreds of people who care
and are concerned about
developments in the
community. We know
because we hear you call in on
various Radio Talk Shows,
you write Letters To The
Editor, you raise questions
and issues at Civic
Organizational Meetings, you
stop by and call The
CAROLINIAN... Now is the
time to go beyond voicing
concerns and get involved
with a community-wide
project,... Get it under our
belts and move on to other
equally productive projects
which demonstrate our
collective resolve to improve
conditions throughout our
community; measurable
economic development,
improved educational
opportunities for our youth,
responsive and relevant
religious experiences, as well
as improving overall
awareness and developing
concrete solutions to
community crime,
unemployment, drug abuse,
homelessness, AIDS, Teenage
Pregancy, etc. should be our
overall collective mission.
For many, many reasons
the King Memorial Gardens
project is one that you, your
co-workers and your
organizations should get
actively involved in
supporting. With a large
public memorial dedicated to
our history and
achievements, none of us can
afford to sit idly by to “See
What Happens”. We must
“Make It Happen” by getting
all the information then
committing ourselves to help
raise the necessary funds to
see it completed.
Sheriff John Baker recently
stated, “If everyone in Wake
County would contribute only
$1.00 then the project would
be adequately financed.”
Well, we know that everyone
will not contribute $1.00 so
instead, we recommend that
each of us who red The
CAROLINIAN, each of us who
care, make a contribution of
any amount we can and
encourage just one other
friend to do the same.
In order that we may gauge
our readers response and
support for this effort, please
make your check payable to
The King Statue Fund and
Mail to The CAROLINIAN,
P.O. BOX 25308, Raleigh, N.
C. 27611. Or, stop by The
CAROLINIAN and pick up an
informational brochure and
leave a check. Each week will
forward your contributions to
the King Committee. We will
also publish the names of our
readers who have responded
to this important community
appeal.
In addition, civic groups,
sororities, fraternities,
churches and businesses who
would like to get involved
may write to the King
Committee to receive all
information on the project.
Sand inquiries or your group’s
check to the King Celebration
Committee, Inc. P. O. BOX
28635, Raleigh, N.C. 27611 or
Call 755-0864 for more
information.
m
Wiliam E. Graham,
chairman:, from
In ^
$109,000 a year. It should not
be over $100,000 and no fr
inge benefits. No salary in
North Carolina should be
over that. CPAL should do
away with three vice
presidents—one is plen
ty-for electricity is
something families have to
have. No firm has finer peo
pie than CPhL-the very
best of drivers, courtesy and
- '
1 S- e LETTERS. P 12)
NNPA FEATURE
COPING
by
Dr. Charles W. Faulkner
BY DR. CHARLES W. FAULKNER
“STOP INSULTING ME”
In the past two months, I have received
letters from unhappy male and female
readers. They complain about each other.
Women say men abuse them with
discourtesy. Men say women are
disrespectful to them.
These negative behaviors often take
place, I am told, when one of them ap
proaches someone or is approached by a
member of the opposite sex. The person
who is approached apparently doesn’t
want to be bothered and lets the other per
son know it with a rude rejection. The re
jected person gets angry and searches for
someone he/she can insult. So instead of
having just one disrespectful person, we
now have two. This kind of behavior gets a
life of its own. It seems hip to insult some
one who tries to gets to know us. It is also a
way to get rid of our frustration with the
unhappiness of our lives. And it is a way to
abuse someone before they abuse us. It is
another way to penalize you because you
hurt me. One person said, “I wish they
would stop insulting me.”
In case you are wondering why so many
males and females are unhappy and, in
stead of liking each other actually dislike
;ach other, this is the reason. They, men
and women, are afraid that they will be
abused and insulted when they approach
you. So instead of being sociable and
outgoing, they prefer to stay home and
watch television. Instead of being kind to
you when you try to get to know them they
try to hurt your feelings because they think
that you would do the same thing to them,
if you had the chance. Is this crazy, stupid,
or immature, or what?
Some of the very people who complain
about the behavior of others are
themselves guilty of the same kind of rude
behavior. Yet they constantly complain
about the so-called problem between men
and women.
If you really want to change this horrible
situation so that it is easy for men and
women to break out of their shells and
develop fruitful relationships, you must:
1. Start with your own behavior. Be
courteous even if you reject the advances
of a member of the opposite sex.
2. Stop thinking that everybody wants to
go to bed with you. Maybe the other person
just wants to talk briefly to you.
3. Be understanding. Realize that many
of the very best people may not have big
cars or huge salaries.
4. Successful companionship is a two
way street. Maybe the other person will be
nice, if you are nice. So, before you com
plain about the behavior of someone else,
check out your own behavior, ^re you
courteous? i, i v
Vantage Point
BY RON DANIELS
JACKSON ACTION: AN EXCELLENT I
PRESCRIPTION FOR D.C. !
A few weeks ago rumors began to race i
around the nation that Jesse Louis Jackson i
was contemplating running for mayor of i
the embattled city of Washington, D.C. <
Observers noted that renovation work ]
seemed to be underway on the Jackson |
family’s D.C. residence and that Jesse '
Jackson had stepped up his number of ap
pearances in the capital in recent weeks, i
Speculation reached a fever pitch when
Jackson acknowledged that the question
bad been raised with him by a number of
people. While declining to say he would in
fact run, Jackson seemed to leave the door
open to the possibility. The prospect of
Jesse Jackson running for mayor of
Washington, D.C. has understandably pro
voked a great deal of debate and discus
sion. Well, here’s my two cents’ worth.
Jesse Jackson should seek the office of
mayor of Washington, D.C. His election
would be good for the nation’s capital and
good for America. Jackson’s vision, in
spirational leadership and proven skills at
resolving crises are precisely what
Washington, D.C. needs at this juncture.
Jesse Jackson, unlike any other leader on
the scene today, could mobilize D.C.’s
citizens including the youth to confront the
crisis of drugs, violence, crime and
murder which is ravaging the city. The ci
ty needs hope, a program to solve the
crisis, and someone at the helm who can
motivate people to become involved in
helping to solve the massive problems fac
ing their community. Jackson Action is
just what die doctor ordered.
On the question of the danger of drugs to
our families, communities and nation, it
was Jesse Jackson who raised this issue to
the level of national defense and national
security during his 1988 presidential cam
paign. He speaks to thousands of young
people each and every week exhorting
them to live a drug-free life and his per
another asset which Jesse Jackson would
bring to the mayor’s office. As the most
famous mayor in the world, Jackson would
attract the most talented, skilled and com
mitted planners, administrators and
managers in the nation. There are legions
of highly motivated and highly skilled peo
ple who would line up for a chance to be a
part of a Jackson administration in
Washington, D.C.
Then there is the matter of self
determination and statehood for
(See VANTAGE POINT. P
T
©Q®(LI TOPJOTr
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and
that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is
no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it
may be said, See, this is new? It hath already been of old
time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of
former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of
thing* that are to come with those that shall come after.
Ecclesiastes i:Ml
(goanascn®
WILLIAM LUCAS DESERVES BLACK SUPPORT
I am a paid life member of the NAACP. I raise money on
behalf of the NAACP. I love the history of the NAACP’s
struggle on behalf of Americanized Africans. I believe that
Ben Hooks, its current leader, is a man of impeccable
character. And I consider him a fr'
But I do not agree with the of
ficial opposition of the NAACP’s
leadership to the Bush administra
tion’s nomination of William
Lucas to lead the Justice Depart
ment’s civil rights division.
There is very little about the
politics of Jesse Jackson that ap
peals to me. There is very little
substance, in my opinion, in the
things that he says that do make
sense. And his ego is too enormous
to allow a good glimpse of his
character. But on the issue of ~ " BROWN
William Lucas’ nomination, I agree with Jackson 100 per
cent for backing him.
At best, in my opinion, the NAACP Legal Defense end
Educational Fund’s (which was sued by the NAACP to
drop the "NAACP” part of its name) opposition to Lucas ie
blasphemous.
In the area of so-called “desegregation” of black col
leges, the Legal Defense Fund is clearly on the side of foe
enemies of the black community who want our traditional
institutions turned into white schools.
How this group of misguided liberal lawyers, a large
number of whom are white, can insert itself into deciding
who will best represnt the black community is an insult to
our intelligence.
Even though I disagree with the NAACP’s position on
this one issue (as well as busing for the purpose of integra
tion), I respect the NAACP’s role in our struggle as foe
premiere civil rights organization. I have one membership
in the NAACP, therefore I have one vote—and one opinion.
My opinions also extend to the basic reason given by
those who oppose Lucas: he is not qualified. Come on! The
racists who oppose black progress have over-used that one.
Was Bobby Kennedy qualified to be attorney general
when he was nominated by his brother, President John
Kennedy? Bobby Kennedy’s only experience was the result
of his family’s contacts in Congress.
These same civil-rights types did not raise the issue of
qualifications about Kennedy because he was a white
liberal. Which makes me suspect that the oppose Lucas
because he is a black Republican.
He’s certainly as qualified to run the civil rights division
as Dan Quayle is to be vice president; or Ronald Reagan
was to be governor of California or President of the United
States; or Michael Dukakis was to be president. And he’s
more qualified to run the civil rights division than Jesse
Jackson is to run the country.
Yet, none of these groups opposed Jesse Jackson—or is
likely to—because of his lack of qualifications. And we
know why. Jackson is popular with the masses of blacks,
first of all. Secondly, he is a Democrat.
If Lucas’ opponents don’t want to support a black
because he is a member of a political party they don’t like,
then let them say so.
But if they persist in opposing a man with his public of
fice and administrative record and his character, and use
civil rights as an excuse, they will damage their own cause
and the rest of black America. /
I’m one black person who supports William Lucas for
this new job, and others who feel this way should let foe
members of the Senate who must confirm him know that
these opinion leaders are not speaking for all of us.
"Tony Brown’s Journal” TV’ series can be seen ea
public television Saturday on Channel 4 at 1:30 p.m. Please
consult listings.
1
Other Viewpoints
BY BILL PEACE
JOGGING ALONE AT NIGHT IN CENTRAL
PARK AND THE PARTING OF A FOOL’S
MONEY
It was an 1969 updating of “Lord of the
Flues” heinously played out in Central Park.
Let’s get something out of the way first. If those
kids, turned nightmarish thugs, are tried and
found guilty of assaulting that young woman
jogger, it is my profound hope that they are
sentenced to the maximum penalty under the
law.
Now, let’s move to a subject that is not so
readily willingly to be talked about in this case.
Is it ever fair to blame the victim? No, it is not.
However, there is an age-old adage, “A fool
and his money will soon be parted.” Sad, but
true. On the other hand, no one has the right to
take a fool’s money, but that does not alter the
terrible truth of the adage. When I first read
about the “wilding” that left this unfortunate
lady jogger, brutalized and left for dead, I was
sadly reminded of the woman who, several
yean back, deliberately walked into a bar full
of men, started drinking with some of them,
and ended up being gang-raped on a pool table.
Oh, I had no sympathy for the men who raped
her, but my first response to the incident was a
question that I desperately wanted to put to the
woman, the victim: “Girl, didn’t your mama
teach you not to go into a bar like that [Big
Dan's] all by younelf?” •'
Living in New York City can be hazardous;
the threat at being physically assaulted exists
there, as it doss in most other large urban
American cities. However, living in that city
does not have to be dangerous if you exercise a
little common sense. I would imagine, that
somewhere in this world it may be safe for a
lone woman to go jogging at night, but damn if
it’s New York City’s Central Park. How you
can live in New York City mid not know that,
ger had to be warned about that by somebody?
According to the papers, the police had even
warned her. Warned her of what? Warned her
of the truth, a truth known to almost everybody
in America: that as a lone woman, black or
white, she was putting herself in danger of be*
ing assaulted, raped and left for dead by an in
dividual male thug, black or white and/or a
gang of male thugs, black or white. Somehow,
this blatant reality of life in New York City was ,
lost to this very bright young woman, who .
refused to discontinue jogging alone, at night in
Central Park of all places. I don’t think that an
all-pro linebacker would go jogging alone in
Central Park after dark. In fact, I don’t thtwh
the whole Giants’ football team would do that
either.
Now the lives of so very, very many people
have been ruined for life, including her own,
because one foolish woman consciously decid
ed that there could be no constraints on her
life’s activities of any kind, for whatever the
reasons. If this was some sort of women’s lib
gone crazy it needs to be addressed and badly
so. Hers was a tale waiting to happen; hers is a
tale of a woman who refused to stop playing a
New York City jogger’s version of
roulette. Life can be wonderful because of all
the things we can do and places we can go, but
that does not include everything and
everywhere. We all live under constraints of
danger.
I am a man and I don’t think of myself as a
coward. From boyhood, I and every other man
born in America was born, “Never flash money
in a public bar.’’ Now, should I go toS
rough test and toughest waterfront bar in the
country, I have the right to pull out a wad of
hundred-dollar bills and buy myself a two
dollar trink, even if I know that that bar is filled
with known cutthroats, muggers and
murderers. I do. And no one there has the right
to take my money. That being the esse, have 1
ever done it? The tact that I am here at home
this evening, in one piece writing this article,
dispels that. As to the question would I ever do
it, the answer is “No way!” For if I did there
would be a most unpleasant given awaiting me. .
I might be lucky enough to get out of that bar
with my life, but there would be absolutely no
(See VIEWPOINTS P. U)